Storm Hawks  Felony
by sexyChell
Summary: On the voyage through the farside in a search to find Master cyclonis, the crew of the Storm hawks are arrested for possession of crystals by a race that considers them illegal and dangerous. Aerrow the leader, is ready to be executed. Who will save them?
1. Prologue

"Stork, take us through," Aerrow ordered, intent on investigating the mysteries of the far side; that for hundreds of years, no one has been able to uncover yet, until now. Stork happily obliged, saluting his leader.

Just before Stork piloted the Condor through the rippling vortex to the farside, Aerrow couldn't help but think if this was going to be the last time he'd step foot in the Atmos, his home. He took a quick glance back at the vigorous storms that once struck over the Cyclonian Terra. _It may as well be, who knows what is to come of the farside. There's only one way to find out, _Aerrow thought. He turned back to face unknown terrors that laid ahead, determined on defeating Master Cyclonis and her immoral plans of taking over the Atmos.

Stork readied the Condor, pulling certain levers to steer her forward to the farside. Not in a millions years could he have imagined pulling a stunt like this. He felt the steel walls of the Condor rumble under his feet against the pulsating energy of the vortex. It started growing more violent the deeper they travelled.

"Yep, couldn't get any worse than this. I just hope I have enough bat fever repellent to last me a few weeks," Stork told himself. After what seemed hours, the Condor finally emerged on the opposite end.

Finn gasped at the sight. A faint green glow covered the skies as far as the eye could see. Tall mountain formations could be seen in the distance, with not a single terra in sight. Each and every member of the Storm Hawks stared in admiration of what laid out in front of them.

"Dude!" Finn blurted, unable to get a grip on proper nouns.

"This is gonna be fun," replied Aerrow.

* * *

Ok, its gonna start off a bit slow, but its my first novel on storm hawks. i've written stories before, but never actually published it on fan fiction. Hope you like it, and if i get one or two reviews i might continue it. critisism is more than welcome, i want to improve my story any way i can.


	2. Chapter 1  Worst Case Scenario

**6 long hours later...**

"This is definitely _**not **_my idea of fun," Finn complained, rather loudly so that Stork and Aerrow were able to hear him. They had been travelling no more than six hours through the deep dark depths of the farside. All that could be seen for miles on end, was darkness surrounded by a thick layer of fog. Dark shadowy figures of the mountain could be seen either side of the Condor, emitting that eerie feeling.

Finn was sitting board on the bridge, with Stork at the helm, and Aerrow by his side.

"Relax Finn, there's nothing to worry about. We've got plenty of rations, and a full supply of crystals to last us a week," responded Aerrow.

"Actually..." Stork interrupted lifting a finger at Aerrow's remark, "we're down to our last batch of crystals. At this rate, we'd be lucky if we lasted any more than a day."

Aerrow sighed, "Well, we'll have to find a place to land, and fast." Finn stood up from the briefing table, and walked over to the window observing any available places big enough for the Condor.

"Uh...dude, how do you plan to do that in...in...this?" asked Finn, gesturing outside. There was nothing but hill and dirt, nowhere near big enough to hold a skimmer let alone the Condor.

"I dunno, we'll find a way. We always do," encouraged Aerrow, his face beaming.

"Always the optimistic one," mumbled Finn under his breath.

While Finn sat back down, resuming his duties, in other words sleeping; every other storm hawk had their own task to complete; Junko was working down in the engine room keeping the Condor in one piece while Piper was refining crystals in her quarters. Finn was on the bridge, with Stork piloting the Condor, and Aerrow being his usual self was keeping up the moral.

He'd start with Junko, seeing as he hadn't seen him for quite some time. Junko usually spent his spare time down in the engine room. He'd spend hours at a time tightening any loose screws, pipes, or valves to keep the Condor in check. He was quite handy when it came to fixing things. Sure he wasn't the brightest bulb in the bunch, but he knew all too well his way around an engine.

Aerrow continued down the path to the engine room. It was one long and narrow hallway that led to just about every room on the ship. The engine room was on the opposite end of the Condor from the bridge. He finally arrived at his destination and entered the engine room, but as he did, he copped a face full of hot steam coming from an unfastened pipe. Aerrow cursed loudly as he flinched in pain. Holding his left check where it had burnt him, Aerrow staggered a bit reacting to the sudden sting that enveloped his skin.

He couldn't see much with all the steam that filled the room. But he felt a light hand on his shoulder. It was Junko.

"Oops...sorry, looks like I missed a pipe. Are you alright Aerrow?"

"Ah...yeah...I should be fine," Aerrow lied, "accidents happen." He pushed down the pain and forced a smile. Keeping a positive attitude was one rule of being a good team leader.

"What brings you down here, Captain?" Junko asked.

"Um...I just wanted to check on things, see how you were doing. And speaking of, how are things going?" Aerrow smirked trying to keep the pain at bay.

"Well, the engine's core took some damage in the last fight with Cyclonia, but I should having it running spick and span in about two or so hours." Aerrow look around at the engine room, not really convinced. It was in chaos. Food scraps lay all throughout the deck plating obvious that Junko had been eating on the job; bits of loose metal hung from the walls and tools were laid out causing a huge clutter throughout the room.

"And...Uh, how are we doing on crystal fuel?"

"We've got enough to last about four hours and after that...uh...let's just say we won't be flying."

"Okay...well I'll be on the bridge if you need me for anything...anything at all." Junko nodded and resumed his job.

Aerrow quickly stepped out of the engine room, careful not to repeat the same mistake he made when he first entered.

Next stop, Piper. He figured she'd be working away on crystals in her room, or lab as she likes to call it. He was right; Piper was sitting cross-legged on her bed, reading a reasonably bulky book, which had torn edges indicating its length in age.

"Hey, what cha doing Piper?" asked Aerrow, sitting beside her, tucking his right leg under his left.

"Well, I'm evaluating means to increase the speed of time that it takes for the shields to activate. I just assumed, because it takes such a long period of time for them to come online just before battles." She looked deep in thought as she scanned the page of her book.

"Good. Have you come up with anything yet?"

Piper lifted her head to explain, "I've considered the possibility of aligning the velocity crystal with the deflector shield array to accelerate the process," Piper explained, happy to reveal her achievements of the day, "but I can't find the right combination to alleviate the course of the shield. It would become more unstable if the velocity crystal were to remain in contact with the shield emitter. "

"Well, you could try a blocking crystal to stabilize the effects of the velocity crystal," Aerrow suggested, unsure if his idea was of any use.

"Uuum...that's...ah...actually not a bad idea," Piper walked from her bed to her desk, grabbing a velocity and a blocker crystal on the way. She then reached up to grab a strange looking contraption from one of her higher shelves. "This should work."

"You have a shield emitter in your room?" asked Aerrow, confused as to what use it possessed.

"Well, I don't know, I thought it might come in handy one day. And now it has," she replied, smirking at how surprised he was. She pushed a button on the emitter, and waited for it to activate, and waited, and waited.

Nothing happened.

She tried again, but still nothing.

"Maybe it's broken?" suggested Aerrow.

Piper tried pushing it again, "but it can't be it's-" the emitter suddenly blew up in a cloud of black smoke, completely engulfing Piper and Aerrow's face. Piper frowned at the result, but then it clicked as to why it had occurred. She had always wondered what Finn was up to when she caught him in her room.

"FINN!"

* * *

Haha poor Aerrow and his back luck, unfortunately, its not gonna get any better. Sorry Aerrow. and you'd better watch out Finn. And thanx so much for the reveiws, you cannot explain how excited i got when you guys showed me your support. Thankyou, and i'll try to post everyday, but i can't guarantee it. year 11 doesn't come with much free time. and again, criticism is still welcome, so i can improve my writings. Oh, and i got my learners today for driving! im so excited! i just wanted to share, cuz im so excited. lol, ok until next time!


	3. Chapter 2 Blink of an Eye

Just to warn you this chapter has a few swear words. And i raised the rating cuz there might be some violent parts ahead. Enjoy :)

* * *

"Can I try?" Finn asked Stork. He had been watching Stork intently while he was driving the Condor, intrigued at how steady he held the wheel. It wasn't an easy job of piloting the ship, so says Stork, but Finn was convinced he'd be able to do it just as good as him.

"Mmmm...no," he responded.

"Awww! Why not?"

"Because I said so, now scoot," Stork snapped.

Finn sighed. He'd been so bored waiting for something to happen. They had been cooped up in the ship for seven straight hours, and all Finn wanted was a little excitement to cheer him up.

"FINN!" He suddenly heard Piper's voice come from the hallway, and she didn't sound very pleased. _Ah crap, _Finn thought. He had to think quickly before Piper started cutting him into pieces and selling him as meat pies.

He slid behind a large pile of crates near the side of the bridge, hiding from whatever Piper had in store for him.

Piper stormed into bridge with Aerrow trailing right behind her. "Where is he!" Piper shouted. _This wasn't the type of excitement I had in mind_, Finn thought, still cowering behind the crates.

Stork turned from the helm and gestured in Finn's direction, obviously amused by the current situation Finn was in. _Shit! What are you doing Stork? _Finn panicked. _This isn't doesn't look good. _

"Finn!" Piper demanded, looking towards the pile of crates, "could you please show a little decency and look at me while I'm talking!" Finn slowly rose from his squatting position.

Aerrow smirked at how scared he looked.

"How many times have I told you to stay out of my room?" Fury was raging through Piper at the fact that he'd been rummaging through her private things.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Finn stammered, not really thinking clearly as to what to say.

"Don't play dumb with me, I know you've been tampering with my shield emitter," Piper retorted.

"Okay, okay. I know that I-wait...what? Shield emitter? I never touched that!" Finn responded.

"Well then who else did? It must've been you." She was about ready to point the blame on Finn, but that's when Stork entered the conversation.

"Eh-heh-heh, um...actually, that was me," Stork confessed. Confusion filled everyone's head. It was understandable if it were Finn, because he has a nose as sticky as honey, but Stork?

Aerrow, which was obviously entertained by Piper's rage at Finn, interrupted their confused state, asking, "But why? What would you need a shield emitter for?"

"Well...having a shield emitter on board the ship isn't entirely safe," Stork explained.

"And why is that?" Piper questioned.

"Ghost flies can be found nesting in the particles of the beam; one touch can singe your skin right off making a lovely stir-fry for them to munch on."

"Uh...okay. And that gave you the need to completely ruin my emitter," Piper replied.

"Yeah, pretty much." Stork returned to his duties at the helm, navigating the Condor through the dense clouds.

"Mmmm...okay," Piper confirmed, satisfied.

"Okay? You think _that's_ ok? Gimme a reason why using the phrase 'ghost flies,' Finn argued using his fingers to indicate quotation marks, "is a reason to get completely let off the hook."

"Well it's better than your way, at least Stork owned up."

"But you automatically blamed me. Man, sometimes I think you don't even like me." Aerrow actually started seeing some sense to what Finn was saying. Often Aerrow had witnessed arguments between them both, and often Piper blamed Finn for things he didn't even do. He figured it was his personality that was a dead giveaway.

"Uh, guys? Sorry to disrupt you're...discussion, but I'm picking something up on the radar," Stork interrupted.

"Yeah, and speaking of, where is Radarr? Haven't seen him all day," Finn questioned, glancing in Aerrow's direction.

"Uh, last I saw him he was asleep in one of the engine's storage compartments. It's warm and toasty for him in there," Aerrow replied, smiling. Sometimes he longed to be as small as Radarr; being something that size would be useful for stealth missions.

"Well while you guys are worrying about the whereabouts of Radaar, there is a ship coming up from the port side," Stork added. It slowly passed the Condor, which was slightly larger in size. The ship had a peculiar shape the Storm Hawks had never seen before. Two engine pods were located either side of the ship. They were each the same length as the ship itself, if not longer. But what really stood out was a large hook attached to the bottom of the ship, branching out no more than three metres below it.

"No way!" Finn exclaimed. "That's...that's the Hornet! Its major old, it dates back to the first ever sky knight that roamed the terras. It's classed as a cargo vessel."

"Wow, you actually know your history, Finn," Piper responded impressed. "Good job." Finn beamed at the compliment she gave him.

"Chicka-Cha." Piper rolled her eyes.

The ship flew straight passed them, not showing a sign that they had seen them.

"Wait shouldn't we hail them?" Finn asked.

"They could be deadly," Stork responded.

"Yeah, but when will the next ship to pass come? Like never," mentioned Finn. Aerrow had no idea what to do in this type of situation. He figured entering new territories such as the far side, anything could be deadly, not _just_ the cyclonians. It was then he spotted something through the fog. Tiny specks of light started appearing one by one.

"Hey guys...what's that?" Aerrow asked, pointing towards what he had seen. They all starred in unison.

The fog cleared abruptly revealing a large structure that reached up over the clouds. The clouds that covered the sky were olive in colour. Everyone gasped at the sight. Bright blue bars of light shown out of every window of the assembly. Smaller buildings surrounded the larger one, and strange contraptions, similar to the Hornet, were travelling between these buildings.

"Whoa! What is that?" reacted Finn, equally surprised as the rest.

"Some sort of, terra?" Aerrow suggested.

While everyone was entranced by the display, Junko ran into bridge saying, "Captain! Uh...I mean Aerrow!" Aerrow wasn't fond of people calling him Captain; it gave him too much power over the rest of the team, and his belief is that everyone should be their own leader.

"Yes Junko?" Aerrow responded.

"We're almost down in crystal energy. I tried keeping her up as long as possible, but we're gonna have to land soon," Junko explained, puffed from the long run up from the engine room.

Aerrow thought for second, staring out the window still intrigued about their new find. In his mind, it was one strange terra. Never before had he seen a terra with lights, or windows for that matter.

"Stork, there's only one place to land," Aerrow suggested. Stork nodded nervously, as the Condor shook violently, losing energy by the second.

Stork spotted a landing pad next to the strange terra, and chose to land. He found it very difficult to mauver the Condor smoothly over the pad. Once the Condor reached the platform, she rocketed a bit before landing, and thrust itself down onto it, causing everyone to fall forward in a heap.

"Well that was fun, let's do that again," groaned Finn sarcastically. He rubbed his head rising from the floor he fell flat on. Aerrow staggered a bit almost falling over, but Junko steadied him just in time. "Thanks Junk," Aerrow responded (yeah that's just his nickname, his not really junk XD) Junko smiled back.

"Well, I guess it's time to greet these people," Aerrow suggested. "Suit up!" Everyone gathered up their armour and weapons ready for what awaited them outside the ship. After about ten minutes or so, Aerrow, Junko and Piper were waiting in the skimmer bay for Finn.

"Oh my god, what is he doing? His hair?" Piper complained. Aerrow and Junko smiled, it was so like Finn to be the last one ready.

Stork would stay behind as usual, and look after the ship. But Aerrow wasn't sure about Radarr.

"Hey guys, do you reckon I should wake up Radaar?" Aerrow asked.

"Nah, he should be right. We won't be long anyway, he needs the rest," assured Piper.

"Alright then," Aerrow replied. Finn ran into the room, puffed.

"Sorry, I was...uumm...in the bathroom," said Finn. They all walked slowly outside careful of any violent greetings.

It was dusty and humid; darkness surrounded them. The only lights were the windows that shone metres above. All was quiet. A slight breeze brushed the dirt against Aerrow's face. _This doesn't look good, _Aerrow thought, _they must've seen us land._

"Hmmm, looks like no welcome party," Junko suggested. Junko flinched at a sudden noise. He figured it was just his imagination.

Without warning, all these dark figures jumped out at them, raising their weapons.

"Freeze!" One of the shouted. All the storm hawks froze in their steps, raising their arms in surrender.

"By the authority of the Xon republic, you are all under arrest for the practice of magic. You will be bound by law and contained!"

"You were saying," Aerrow said to Junko.

* * *

Alright, so tell me if i'm doing things to fast. i can't really tell, and i'm sorry if this chapter sux, i was doing it while i was walking from the bus stop, and cuz its so hot here in Australia at the moment its even harder. And please review, it motivates me, even critisism motivates me, it means your reading my story, which is gud :)


	4. Chapter 3 Justice Part 1

This chapter is twice as long as the rest, thats why it took me so long to do. It has much more excitement in it, and sorry for any mistakes. Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 3 – Justice**

Aerrow stared wide-eyed, not believing his luck today. _This can't be happening, _Aerrow thought. Not once in his lifetime had he been arrested.

"What is the meaning of this?" Aerrow questioned, as one grabbed hold of his arms fastened it behind his back. The same fate met the rest of the Storm Hawks, each were just as frightened.

"Search the ship!" One of them ordered. They were rather tall compared to an average height of a human. The sight of them made Aerrow's stomach turn. Each had long black hair that flowed down to the waist, plaited to one side. Having dark navy blue skin, made their piercing yellow eyes stand out even more so. Their garments worn consisted of a black bodysuit and were supposed to represent a line of authority.

The guards started leading them to the large complex, shoving each one of them along.

Piper was brutally pushed forward by one of the guards, which infuriated Aerrow. He couldn't bear the thought of his team suffering; they were his responsibility to protect and he failed them.

With that thought, he tried struggling against their tight grip, managing to knee the guard in the stomach, but they were a great deal stronger and faster. All he received in return was a firm blow to the abdomen. He gasped; his muscles tensed at the sudden contact, and fell to the ground withering in pain.

"Aerrow!" Piper called, worry filling her voice. She looked over to Junko and Finn, the expression on her face hinting they should do something. However, Finn just shook his head. He knew they were outnumbered, and didn't know their capability. Junko had the same thought. He may be well-built and strong, but to go up against these people would be suicide.

They forcedly heaved Aerrow off the ground. He groaned, obviously in a weak state. But he had no choice but to continue walking towards the complex.

The doors were almost as tall as the Condor, if not taller. It opened up, revealing a long, slightly dark-shaded passageway. There were no windows or doors, except the one they entered from. It was just a long stretch of hallway.

Aerrow looked over to Junko, who was shivering like mad from fear. He felt as their leader, he had failed to protect them. He should have been more cautious; being in a new territory is dangerous and he should have known that. Aerrow had no idea where they were taking them, but he knew it wasn't going to be a welcome celebration.

They continued walking down the hallway until they reached a dead end. There was nowhere to go, just a wall laid out in front of them.

One of the guards pulled out a small device and activated it. A bright light originated from the wall, lighting everyone's faces, and then...nothing. The solid wall, was as it was. Each of the Storm Hawks looked at each other in confusion.

"Move!" One of the guards shouted, gesturing to the wall.

"Uh...what do you want us to do? Bang our heads?" Finn questioned, that got him a hit against the head.

Aerrow walked forward and reached out to the solid formation. He took a deep breath and placed his hand against it, but instead of feeling the concrete surface of the structure, his hand went straight through. It felt like jelly, if only it was.

He turned back towards the others, unsure what to do.

The guards grew impatient and pushed them through, all of them entering into the unknown.

* * *

**Back on the Condor**

Radarr was still snuggled inside the compartment within the engine room on the Condor; his favourite place to rest. A hard week of fighting off the cyclonians would tire anyone, especially someone his size. But his sleep was interrupted suddenly to the sound of deep voices echoing through the hull of the ship. He peered through the space of the compartment opening. None of those voices belonged to his fellow crewmates.

Strange creatures waltzed about the room, turning over tables and peering inside crates. They were looking for something, and they were rather intent on finding it. Radarr whined, worried for his owner Aerrow. Perhaps they were doing spring cleaning, and these peculiar individuals were assisting. But Radarr thought against it, Aerrow would never do cleaning without his assistance. So where were they?

When they exited the room, Radarr slid out of the storage place and observed his surroundings. The engine was deactivated, maybe they were saving power. But there were no signs of crystals. Odd. Usually there were crates and crates of them that filled the room to the brink. But then again, they were low on crystal supplies. Since the ship didn't feel like it was moving, maybe they were stocking up.

Radarr always overlooked every possible scenario, so he decided to stay low, until he discovered what was really going on.

He thought it'd be best if he explored the Condor through the conduit pipes that led throughout almost every room of the ship. But how would he get up there? _This is gonna be one long day, _Radarr thought.

* * *

_Finn's hair danced to the wind that was blowing vigorously, whipping through the streets. The sound of crickets hung in the background, singing a tune to the night sky above. A row of street lamps laid out in front of him stretching down the road and shops rested on either side of him. He was back on Atmosia. _How did I end up end here? _Finn thought. He looked around surveying any surroundings. The streets were overflowing with people, walking to and fro, determined to get somewhere. The blank look on their faces made Finn wonder if this was actually real._

_A chill travelled down Finn's spine, when he realised he was only wearing his boxer shorts."Eek!" Finn covered up embarrassed at his red dotted briefs, but no one seemed to notice. _Strange, _Finn thought._

_"Hey do you know what's going on?" Finn asked a passerby, but no response, "How rude." _

_"Pardon me, but can you-ouch!" Finn started, but got cut off by a man colliding into his shoulder, acting as if he didn't exist."Hey! Watch it!" Finn retorted, annoyed at the sudden contact._

_"HEY!" he shouted to someone. But they just kept walking. He followed that person, running to keep up. "Hello! Can you hear me?"_

_The person was mumbling gibberish, which Finn couldn't somewhat comprehend. He looked puzzled, still jogging to keep up._

_"HUH!" he questioned, saying rather loudly. But the person disregarded Finn's comment, and continued on his way. _

_Finn looked around at the scene. _What the hell is going on? _Finn thought._

_He only noticed now that he was being watched through the crowd. A tall man, much like those strange creatures, was standing amongst the people, staring directly at him. Finn's bright blue eyes met the creature's sharp yellow eyes._

_They gazed at each other, as if time itself stopped. But then suddenly he disappeared. The creature was nowhere to be found. He looked around him, but couldn't see a trace of the being._

_Suddenly a hand clasped his mouth, bringing Finn towards his body to properly restrain him. All Finn could do was struggle, but the person was too strong. And before Finn realised, he felt a sharp object pierce his skin, through his side. His brain registered the intense pain which is why he screamed._

_While gasping in pain, he toppled to the ground as the person's grip loosened. Finn laid out on the ground clutching his injury. Blood seeped out of his wound..._ "FINN!"... all he could see were tiny circular dots were constantly blinking at him..."FINN! Can you hear me!"..._ His brain functions were slowly shutting down..._

"Wake up Finn!" Finn threw himself forward, gasping for air.

"Whoa man, are you alright?" Aerrow asked.

Finn rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, just had a really...uh...strange dream, where are we?" They were enclosed in a small dark cell. The walls were coated with steel, possibly miles thick. Finn was lying on a bunk that laid out in the corner of the room. It was just him and Aerrow.

"Well I assume we're in a holding block. One of the guards knocked you out cold, you were unconscious for hours. You started screaming, that's when I tried to wake you up."

"Where are the others?" Finn asked, still a little dazed.

"I dunno, you sure you're alright?"

"Dude, I'm fine. Now quite your worrying and find us a way out of here."

"There's no escape." Aerrow and Finn got a fright from the sudden voice emitting from the shadows. An elderly man stepped close to them into the dim light that flooded the room.

He had the appearance similar to that of the guards, except his looks suggested he was much older. Light grey hair covered his face; his pupils were a light faded brown and clothes he wore were frayed and torn.

"What do you mean 'no escape?' Finn asked, concerned growing in his voice.

"This place...it plays tricks with the mind. It causes hallucinations of your worst fears." _That would explain appearing half-naked, _Finn thought, thinking back to the dream he had.

"There has to be a way to escape," Aerrow replied.

"Well, if you want a way out, do it while you're young."

"Um...who are you by the way?" Finn questioned.

Raman Adar," he responded. He looked at them hoping for a response.

"Oh, I'm Aerrow and this is Finn," answered Aerrow, "So...uh, how did you end up in here?"

"I served long ago as one of the guards, under the rule of Mukesh Russef."

"Hah! Who the hell calls their kid Mukesh?" Finn interrupted, smiling towards Aerrow.

"Mukesh is a rank, one of the highest and most honoured in the fleet." Finn's smile quickly dissipated. "Oh...carry on," responded Finn.

"Anyway, as I was saying, I served as one of the guards on a remote outpost in the fair regions of the earth..." he started, but was interrupted yet again by Finn, "what the hell is an earth?"

"You've never heard of earth?" Finn shook his head in response. Raman sighed, "Where do you guys come from?"

"Well, where we are from, there are what we call terras," Aerrow explained.

"Well here, earth is the sort of...uh...the solid matter of this planet." Finn scrunched his nose at that remark, still a little confused.

Raman continued, "I was a captain of a squadron, good group of men. We served many good years together. I had the perfect life; a good team, a good family, and damn good pay rates, and I threw it all away."

"Why, what happened?" Aerrow asked, feeling sorrowful.

"I was what you'd call a binder," he answered.

Aerrow and Finn gasped, "Just like..." Aerrow started, "Piper," bother Finn and Aerrow said in unison, observing each other's shocked faces.

"You have a binder on board your ship?" Raman asked.

"Yes, her name is Piper," Aerrow answered, proud of her skills.

"Oh no! You have to get her outta here! She's in mortal danger," Raman warned.

"What why?" responded Aerrow.

"Practicing the binding is against the Xon's explicit rules. It results in severe torture and possibly execution. They see the binding as a source of magic and power. They will try to wrench it from her body with pain. I should know, I've suffered the same fate." Raman lifted up his torn shirt to reveal several scars scattered throughout his chest.

"Just for using crystals?" Aerrow questioned, observing the several marks embedded into his skin.

"Yep, the Xonians are a strict race. I was ratted out by one of my own squadron. Apparently he got quite a fortune doing it. I mean, can you believe, one of my **friends**."

"Did you know which one?" Finn asked.

"No. I've been in here most of my life. So who is this Piper?"

"Oh, she's our navigator and tactics...person," Finn responded.

"And I assume you're the leader of the squadron?" Raman asked, pointing towards Aerrow.

"You assume right," he replied.

"Aren't you a little young?"

"Well...uh, yeah. That's what most people say," Aerrow said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm sharpshooter," Finn replied, smiling pointing towards himself.

"And wingman," Aerrow cut in.

"And wingman," Finn repeated. Raman smiled.

"Sounds like you got quite the crew, Aerrow."

"You haven't met the half of them," Aerrow responded.

* * *

"Piper?"

"Yes Junko?" she asked.

"I don't suppose you've found a way outta here yet?"

"No. Why?"

"Because I'm hungry."

"Well you just have to wait, don't you?"

"Wait? Wait! There's no waiting. Not if the flesh eating spirit bunnies get to us, they'll suck you inside from out," Stork surged, paranoid as ever.

Piper had been listening to Stork's rant about demons and omens, and Junko's constant complaining for hours. She thought she'd be better off with Finn, but then again, he does get grumpy when his bored.

"If you guys wait, Aerrow might find a way out of here," Piper explained, frustrated down to the bone. Never before had she'd under gone severe control issues. She just wanted to explode at Stork and Junko for doing her head in.

It was increasingly hot and humid in the cell. Sweat droplets stuck to Piper's skin like barnacles to a pier, and she hadn't heard a single peep from the outside world. It's like they had forgotten them, and just left to rot.

Piper sat against the wall, flicking a piece of rock around the floor. She was bored. Oh how she longed to be back on the Condor, calibrating her crystals in her room. No complaining, no distractions, and most of all no boredom.

And just when Piper lost all hope, she heard the lock click open from the door. Her immediate thought was, _Aerrow? _But that sign of hope dissipated quickly when she saw a pair of guards, enter the room.

They hauled Piper up of the floor, and escorted her out, along with Stork and Junko.

Several cells were laid out either side of them as they were walking. _They must have hundreds of prisoners trapped here, _Piper thought and their job was to get them out.

Piper squinted at the sudden gush of light as they were led into a separate room through a large bolted door from the cell block. The cells were dark, so it was understandable her eyes took a long period of time to adjust. It was some sort of control room. Consoles laid out about the room, but it was empty. No people were present, except a large man at the very centre of the room.

He turned around to face them as the guards pushed them in front of him. Eyeing each person, he paced the room back and forth in a slow manner, patiently waiting. He was different to the rest of the Xonians. Much different; he was human.

He was large in size and was wearing a thick bulletproof vest. He had bright red eyes, and a scar was scratched into his right cheek making him less appealing. His hair was navy blue which was like a stubble on the top of his head.

After a few minutes, Aerrow and Finn joined them escorted by a couple of guards. "Where's Radarr?" Aerrow whispered to Piper.

"I dunno, I thought he was with you," she whispered back.

"QUIET!" shouted the strange human. Aerrow and Piper snapped their mouths shut. "Kneel," the stranger ordered. They just looked at each other not moving a muscle. "I said kneel!"

The guards forced them to the ground. Each of the Storm Hawks knelt in a row.

"I am Mukesh Adar," he started. "You may know me as the leader of the Xon...but enough of the pleasantries; my men are currently searching your ship and so far found a whole shipment of magic rocks..."

"Uh...crystals actually," Piper corrected, voice trembling.

"Um...crystals then. And I supposed you use them, am I correct?" Everyone nodded. Junko's stomach turned inside out, he wondered what would happen to them, he wondered if they would even get through this.

"So, which one of you is the binder of this magic?" Piper went to open her mouth, but Aerrow cut in instead.

"I am," he said.

* * *

Sorry to leave you on a bit of a cliffhanger, but i hope it was to your liking, some parts are a bit silly, but i'm like that. Thankyou reviewers, i appreciate your reviewing, but keep it up, it makes me happy :D


	5. Chapter 4 Justice Part 2

omg! i just found out the BEST news! Disney XD television has picked up storm hawks and its gonna take off early this year. type in Storm hawks Disney in google for proof. Seriously, disney has made me the most happiest person! I will celebrate by posting this chapter.

**

* * *

**

Aerrow bowed his head in shame, still kneeling upon the ground similar to the rest of the Storm hawks. Piper's amber eyes focused on him, puzzled at his false confession. She was going to say something, but he just shook his head.

"So you're the binder?" Mukesh asked.

"Yes." responded Aerrow.

"Is this true?" He said to the rest of the squadron. All the Storm Hawks nodded. They trusted Aerrow's judgement, and whatever he was doing, he most likely had a good reason for it.

Muskesh stepped closer to Aerrow. The large man levelled with his face. "You'd better not be lying to me boy." They were nose to nose, only centimetres apart. Mukesh was looking for even a hint of deception, but Aerrow was able to stand his ground. He knew very well how to bluff.

Aerrow's expression remained blank. His eyes converged into that of the leader's, not once breaking a sweat.

"Leave him, and put the rest back in their cells," Mukesh ordered, rising from his previous position. The guards heaved each of the Storm Hawks off the floor, and escorted them away, leaving Mukesh, Aerrow and a pair of guards in their wake.

Piper looked back and made eye contact with Aerrow as she was guided away. Worry decorated her face. Aerrow nodded to her smiling, signalling that everything was going to be fine as she slipped away.

Aerrow though, was honestly afraid of whatever was to come next, but he didn't show his fear in the eyes of the enemy. He never did.

He was still kneeling on the concrete surface, stiff as a board.

"Aren't you a little young, kid?" Mukesh asked, breaking the silence.

Aerrow snarled at his depiction as a 'kid.' "That's what everyone says," he responded, sighing.

"Very well then, because I don't care what age you are, you're still a binder and deserve the proper punishment." And with that Mukesh clicked his fingers. The guards came up behind Aerrow, summoned by his gesture.

"What are you-" Aerrow started, but was interrupted with a harsh blow to the face, knocking him unconscious.

* * *

Radarr was scuttling along the conduit pipes. He had been exploring for no more than three hours. He still hadn't found the whereabouts of his squadron. Crawling through a pipe didn't get you far, but Radarr had no choice but to keep low, until he could find out what was going on.

For such a small animal, Radarr had too many responsibilities. He had saved Aerrow's life on many occasions. Being a Storm Hawk was a huge task, but Radarr knew the rest of his squadron depended on him to perform his duties at maximum.

He was currently looking out a vent that led to the bridge. Tall men with long black hair scaled the floors. Everything was turned over or broken and papers lay amuck on the floor.

Radarr overheard people talking; his ear perched up to hear more clearly.

"Do you reckon we've got their whole supply?" one asked.

"The Mukesh said to keep searching every inch of the ship," the other responded.

"But we've done that already, what more can we search?"

"Every conduit, every compartment, every panel, take the ship apart piece by piece for all I care," a voice demanded from behind. Radarr couldn't make out his face, but he knew he was human, a rather large human.

"And when you're done, see to it that the prisoners are released, their no use to me now. I've got the binder in my custody and that's all that matters.

"Sir!" They both stood up straight, and saluted. "Right away, sir!"

_Binder? _Radarr asked himself, _what do they mean by a binder? Do they mean Piper? _Radarr contemplated his observations. Well, one thing he did know was that they had his team mates captive, and it was his job to get them out.

But something told him he should stay low. If he got caught he could never save his friends. And going in alone would be a sure way of capture.

* * *

Water engulfed Aerrow's face, forcing him to wake up. It was like a dam had cracked open and a flood of cold wet spills drenched his body. He was strapped to a chair in the centre of a dimly lit room. The walls were painted with rust. Aerrow couldn't see a thing as he was still too dazed to notice much, all he knew was that the side of his head hurt like hell.

"And so he awakens," a voice spoke. Aerrow's lips pursed trying to release a sound from his mouth, but all he could manage was a strangled croak.

"Don't struggle too much. You don't wanna pass out again."

"W-wha...what happened?" Aerrow managed to say, water dripping from his face.

"That doesn't matter, what matters is what is gonna happen next." Aerrow was still a little absent-minded, but he was still able to make out who was speaking. It was Mukesh. A couple of guards stood either side of him.

"Let's wake you up a bit shall we." Mukesh nodded towards the guards, who unstrapped Aerrow forcedly lugging him onto his feet. They dragged him over to a water trough that laid out beside them.

The next thing Aerrow felt was a gush of ice cold water envelope his face. They held him under for a few seconds. Aerrow's hands wriggled and shook trying to break free of their harsh grip. And then they lifted his head out of the water. Aerrow gasped for air, but they just forced his head under again, not giving him a proper amount of time to regain his breath.

Panic. It was filling Aerrow's mind like water in a bath, consuming him uncontrollably. He opened his mouth to breathe, ordering his lungs to draw air. But the airways ignore him. They collapse, tighten, squeeze. He wants to scream, but he can't. He needs to breathe to scream. Aerrow felt his head spinning; his eyeballs were about ready to pop from their sockets. After what seemed ages, Aerrow was lifted out of the water. He gasped, desperate for the sweet taste of air.

"Had enough?" Mukesh asked. The guards strapped Aerrow back into the chair, tying his hands behind his back. Aerrow stared at Mukesh, hate filling his eyes.

"Now, I wanna teach you a lesson. Magic is evil. Now say it after me, Magic-is-evil," Mukesh spoke in a slow tone.

Aerrow spat in his face, "Go to hell." The guards stepped forward ready to pound Aerrow, but Mukesh rose a hand ordering them to halt.

"Leave us," Mukesh ordered. The pair walked walk out, leaving Aerrow and Mukesh alone.

"You really should learn some manners," Mukesh suggested. "No matter. Now tell me, do you work for the witch?"

"Who?" Aerrow questioned.

"You know who I'm talking about, the woman in the purple cloak."

"Uh...who?"

"Don't lie to me! My patience is running on a very thin line."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Aerrow spoke, confused.

Mukesh sighed, "You have two choices, you tell me the truth, or I'll use this to fry your brains," he said, holding up a cattle prod.

"I think I'd rather use your head," Aerrow responded.

"Oh?"

"I prefer something that has never been used before." If looks could kill, Aerrow would be dead one-hundred times over. But that didn't stop Aerrow from having his fun.

"I'm sorry, if I said anything to offend you, it was purely intentional," Aerrow spoke smiling. He had got to him. Aerrow knew just the right buttons to push.

"Don't get cocky. You don't know what I'm capable of. I am the most highly trained soldier in the fleet. I could face you head on without even thinking."

"Like you do most things," Aerrow retorted. Mukesh lost his patience and hit Aerrow in the side of the face. Blood trickled from his lips.

"Tell me!" he shouted, hitting Aerrow again and again and again. He stopped waiting for a reply. Aerrow coughed out blood, groaning from the pain.

"Who...are you talking about? Who is this witch?" Aerrow responded, a bit out of it.

"She's a binder like you, but she is **much** too powerful. Destroyed two of our regiments. She's the definition of hell." And then Aerrow realised who he was talking about. He couldn't believe he didn't see it before. _God, sometimes I can be so dense, _he told himself.

"Who, Master Cyclonis?"

* * *

I hope this chap was gud, i wasn't really sure what to write. tell me if i did any mistakes cuz i didn't really proof read this one properly.


	6. Chapter 5 Enigma

**Chapter 5 – Enigma**

Bruises started to form along Aerrow's brow, a faint yellow in colour, surrounding a thick cut that reached out to the side of his head. Sweat stuck to his face like honey to a piece of bread, and trickled down his cheek. But Aerrow managed to tolerate those little distractions and keep focus on the face of his rival. Surprisingly it was not the facade of the Dark Ace. Many battles he faced it was against the obnoxious black-haired man, Aerrow was disappointed he had not been the one to finish him. _Funny how things work like that, _Aerrow thought, _all those months of trying to defeat the dark ace, one battle after the other, and it was his own master that did the job for me. _But here he was, in front of yet another adversary he was keen on getting rid of.

Mukesh raised an eyebrow, wrinkles forming above his right brow. "So you have heard of her?" He spoke.

Aerrow rolled his eyes, _Of course I've heard of her, who hasn't. _"Yeah, but there's no way in hell I work for her." Aerrow's mouth twitched in satisfaction, oh how he loathed Master Cyclonis.

"And why should I believe you? All you binders are alike. Deceiving and treacherous," Mukesh scolded. Aerrow's fist clutched in frustration. There was no way of convincing him, Mukesh couldn't see reason or logic of Aerrow's statement, and he didn't know him well enough to see how much he really did hate the cloaked witch.

"What makes you think all binders are evil? Some could use their powers of good," Aerrow pointed out. It was true; many times Piper had saved innocent people, using her incredulous powers, even Aerrow's life, which he was grateful for.

"Well," Mukesh began, "there are some things traitors like you don't understand."

"And what is that?" Aerrow asked, his eyes burning through the other man's skull.

Mukesh stiffened, preparing to speak. "Mmmm, how should I put it? You don't understand pride, in your people, customs or culture. Xon, the name of the city and its people, is like a beautiful palace, littered with garbage, and someone has to take out the garbage."

"So I take it I'm that garbage," observed Aerrow. Mukesh nodded a stern look showing on his face to reveal his certainty.

"And that's what you do? Go from place-to-place, taking out the garbage?" Aerrow held the look of confusion. This guy was definitely round the bend.

"Precisely, and then once Xon is free of your kind, we will move to other places and clean any garbage there." Aerrow didn't see reason in what he was saying. Master Cylclonis had a strong influence on a lot of people, but that didn't mean judging a whole group based on just one person.

But there was another question he had in mind, "What do you use for energy then?"

"Mmmm?" Mukesh responded in a questioning tone.

"Well, since your kind doesn't use crystals, what powers your weapons, ships, even lights, "inquired Aerrow gesturing to the light standing above them, hanging from a thick piece of wire.

"Electricity of course."

"Huh?" spoke Aerrow, using a slightly less intelligent quality.

"You've never heard of electricity before?" Aerrow shook his head; he hadn't even heard the word before, which he was too ashamed to admit.

It was then Aerrow heard a sound he almost never enjoys hearing, almost, especially if it's directed at him. Laughter. A low pitched sound echoing through Aerrow's head. Aerrow felt a feeling of loathing surge through him. He hated being laughed at. Throughout his childhood he was laughed at for the colour of his hair. Apparently red wasn't very popular.

His laugh finally diminished. While catching his breath he asked sarcastically, "Where do you come from?" Aerrow's blush took hold of him.

"Well, the Atmos pretty much lives on crystals..." Aerrow's eyes widened as he realised what he just said. He slapped himself mentally. The location of the Atmos almost slipped out of his mouth, and since the Atmos is full of crystals, who knows what Mukesh has planned. Though, the slip up wasn't entirely his fault. Whenever he was embarrassed or humiliated, he'd say things he didn't intend.

"Atmos? And where might this 'Atmos' be?" Mukesh asked, intrigued. "Do a lot of binders live there?" His eyes lit up. If he were to discover its location, his name would go down in history as being the saviour of their race.

"Uh...Atmos? Did I say Atmos?" Aerrow cringed, he wasn't very good under pressure.

"Where is it?" Mukesh demanded. Aerrow was in trouble now.

"Um...uh...far away from here." Aerrow's hands started to shake. _Yep, the Atmos is doomed, all because of me, _he thought. He'd spent years defending it, and now in just a few minutes he had destroyed it.

"Am I really that thick-headed?" Mukesh asked rhetorically.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Aerrow replied. Mukesh grunted. He wasn't amused.

"Have it your way then. GUARDS!" Two men stormed into the room like two dogs, the door slamming shut behind them.

"Very soon you're gonna find out the meaning of pain." The guards closed upon Aerrow still strapped into the chair. _This wasn't the idea of 'fun' I had in mind, _Aerrow thought.

* * *

so sorry this chapter is so late and so short, but i've been really tied up with school. with it being almost the end of the term i've had a load of tests and SACs thrown at me. and i haven't really had much inspiration either. its a tough life sadly. but i hope you enjoy, i might be updating more often since its almost the holidays, i won't guarentee it though. more reviews might help me though ;)


	7. Chapter 6  Information

Darkness. Cold. It was all Aerrow could see and feel. The coldness enveloped his skin, reaching its cold hand through his body clawing at him and making him shiver. Only the thin fabric of his uniform covered his body. They confined him to the world with no food or company. The room was pitch black. By looking right, left, up, down, waving his hands in front of his eyes, Aerrow didn't see so much as a hint of movement. He was completely alone.

The air didn't feel right, it was too thick almost solid. Aerrow couldn't help feeling his breath become short. He felt like reaching out with his hands, crushing the air into little pieces and stuffing them down his windpipe. Aerrow ran his hand through his hair, thinking whether or not it was a good idea to come to the farside.

The door creaked open. He lifted his dull eyes, not knowing how long he had been cooped up in here. It's hard to tell the time when you can't see the sunlight. Any guess he had been here for just under a day.

_He _walked in. Aerrow lowered his eyes again, not bothered by Mukesh's presence. "Had fun?" He asked playfully, as if he enjoyed this.

"Meh, can't complain," Aerrow responded still not lifting his gaze. His voice was dry from the lack of water, making it sound muffled and croaky. Mukesh sighed, he turned a dial on the wall. Electricity flooded into Aerrow from the iron shackles that held him against the damp wall. Aerrow held his breath, trying to control himself from screaming.

"Mmph!" Aerrow mumbled, trying to take charge of his rage.

He got a shock from the intense pain as it flowed through his body. Finally after what seemed like ages, the torment stopped. His hands were violently shaking from the aftershock. His hair rose from the static electricity. The only sound was Aerrow's heavy breathing.

He had endured a lot of pain ever since entering the farside. Now he regretted coming here more than ever. The thought of his friends, however, was the only thing that was keeping him alive. Otherwise he would've just given up.

Aerrow closed his eyes, exhausted from the lack of sleep. He started drifting off but awoke to another current of electricity.

"Now now, don't give up on me just yet. I haven't finished with you."

The agony wouldn't go away. This time Aerrow couldn't restrain himself any longer. He screamed as loud as he could. He didn't care any more; Aerrow let the pain control him. However it didn't stop. The bolts of electricity continued to flow through him.

"I won't stop unless you tell me where this Atmos place is." Aerrow tried to hold on just a bit longer, but it hurt. His body was tortured, battered and damaged beyond repair. Hope was lost. The image of his friends faded out of his mind due to his throbbing head. He was tempted to end his own life right then and there.

"F-….FINE!" Aerrow managed to shout, finally giving up. Mukesh smiled, achieving his goal. The current stopped. Aerrow let out a deep breath, relieved. He eyed Mukesh, "I'll tell you where it is if you let my friends go!" He had nothing to lose except his friends.

"Deal!" Mukesh agreed. He was going to let them go anyway, they were no use to him.

Aerrow's face showed a look of shock. He had not expected Mukesh to agree to his terms, in fact, he thought it was the last thing he'd do.

"Okay," Aerrow started, a bit sceptical about revealing the information, "We came through a door that Master Cyclonis stole from the natives of a sacred land."

"How did she steal a door?" Aerrow glared at Mukesh, not happy about being interrupted.

"It's just that, a door." Mukesh gave him a confused look.

"Go on," Mukesh insisted. Aerrow coughed from the dry throat he was suffering from.

"Well," Aerrow continued, "Cyclonis could access this place through that door," he coughed again but this time he coughed out blood. Every time he swallowed it felt like someone was stuffing rocks down his throat. He cleared his mouth with his hands that were still shackled to the wall. "Sh…she gained new powers and we had to s-stop her. So we followed her through." _Which is just about the worse thing we did, _Aerrow complained inside his own head.

"Is there a way to get back?" Aerrow rolled his eyes. _How am I supposed to know? _Aerrow thought.

"We don't know," which was true, Aerrow actually didn't know how to get back. They had only arrived to the farside two days ago; at least, that's what Aerrow thinks. He had been cooped up in his cell for so long he couldn't tell day from night.

Mukesh sighed. "I'm glad for you cooperation. Your friends will be set free within the hour. But I'm sorry to say," Muskesh spoke with a hint of sarcasm, "you still will receive your punishment you deserve, which is worthy of death." A little part in Aerrow died. He looked towards the ground again. _This is it. I'm never going to see my friends again._

* * *

Piper felt the knot in her stomach tighten. It was like a snail was slithering along the inside of her belly leaving a wet trail in its wake. But all she could do was listen to the soft distant scream echoing through her ear drums. She knew who it belonged to. Her once brave leader, her friend, and because of her she wouldn't be able to see his face again. Guilt overflowed her, filling her insides.

She pressed her ear against the surface of the cell door. Listening and waiting for any sign of hope. Aerrow's blood-curling scream penetrated hers ears yet again, making her flinch. A cold shudder trickled down her spine. Piper looked back towards her closest friends, Stork, Junko and Finn. They all seemed to have the same expression as Piper did. She pressed her knees against her chest, and buried her face on her legs. She didn't know what to do. But no matter what she had to stay strong, one of the most important lessons Aerrow had taught her.

Piper lifted her head up to the sound of footsteps. She stood, intrigued by the sound. Maybe they were bringing Aerrow back, safe and sound. Or perhaps they were going to take one of them in for questioning. The others didn't seem to notice the sound. "Shhh..." Piper ordered, interrupting Stork's rant about cell moths. "I think there's someone coming." Piper pressed her ear to the door. It was originating from outside the cell, growing louder as it neared. She stepped away from the door as it unlocked with a slight click, and opened to reveal a pair of guards. One was dressed in the same black uniform similar to the guards that contained them, while the other's was red in colour, signifying an increase of hierarchy.

"Come with us," the black one demanded. Finn stood up from his seated position, raising an eyebrow. "Where are you taking us?" he questioned, not keen on the idea of obeying their demands, anyone's for that matter.

"You are to be set free," the other responded. That remark turned heads.

"Huh?" Finn replied, taken aback. They were not expecting this. In fact, they thought they'd be taken in for interrogation just like Aerrow, which is why they were so afraid and for the safety of their leader of course.

"What?" Piper asked, knowing what was said.

"We're letting you go free," the guard repeated, "now move, before we change our minds." The Storm Hawks hesitated, but obeyed, and followed them out of the cell; although Junko stopped, a sad expression on his face, not wanting to move.

"What about Aerrow? Is he free too?" Junko asked. He twiddled his thumbs smiling, hoping for a good answer.

"No, he is to be further contained for more questioning, and then be executed under the laws of our government," the red one answered. Junko's expression turned upside down.

"WHAT!" Piper shouted, she felt like she's been saying that a lot lately, "You can't do that. You have no proof his guilty."

"On the contrary, we do. He confessed about everything, where he came from, how he got here and who he works for," the black one informed, sniggering to the other guard. "I thought he'd put up more of a fight."

Piper frowned wanting so badly to punch the guards face in, but she controlled her anger, just until they let them go. They have more of a chance saving Aerrow out there, then what they do in here. Aerrow must've had a good reason to give up that sort of information. Maybe it was because of him they were setting them free. But before she could do anything else, she felt something graze her face, some sort of spray, and fell into a deep state of sleep.


	8. Chapter 7 Descent

**Chapter 7 – **Descent

A gush of cold air engulfed Piper's body as she jolted into a state of consciousness. Her head grew dizzy as if it were being attacked by a tornado. She could hardly see because the wind was too great. However, she only realized a few seconds after she opened her eyes that she was falling. Falling from the night sky a few thousand feet in the air towards the ground below. Her heart skipped a few beats from a state of panic.

She screamed; the only thing she was able to do. There were only a few moments to react to the situation before plummeting to her death. Piper then realized a parachute was strapped to her back. She pulled the tag as hard as she could to activate it. Her body jolted as it deployed, and sent her gliding gently towards safe ground within a forest of dull-looking trees, still a few hundred feet in the air.

Piper took a deep breath as if she had been holding it in for a long period of time; relieved she would see her friends once more, wherever they were. But as she did, she heard a familiar scream coming from above. An all too familiar scream that she dreaded hearing the sound of. Finn. He startled her by unexpectedly landing on top of the chute, head first. His bow ripped the material creating a rupture, revealing Finn's face.

"Hey there," he said, smiling. Piper gave him a look that wasn't amused. The air when straight through the opening in the parachute made by Finn's bow, causing it to grow bigger as they fell faster and faster down into the depths below. They both screamed, Finn holding onto the chute for dear life.

Piper closed her eyes as they fell below within the woods, hitting just about every branch on their way down. The parachute finally hooked onto a branch preventing them from falling to their death.

Piper dangled below Finn arms crossed, twigs stuck throughout her messy hair. She was still strapped tightly to the chute, while Finn was hanging just above her head, holding onto the branch that had prevented their fall.

"Gah! Finn you idiot!" Piper shouted, hitting the bottom of his foot with her hand.

"Well hey! It wasn't my fault. I can't control where I land, otherwise I wouldn't be here with you would I?"

"Maybe deploying your own parachute would have been a good idea, instead of landing on top of mine!" Piper punched the air in frustration, pretending it was Finn's head.

"I didn't think of it as I was falling thousands of feet to my death!"

"Well I don't care anymore, what's done is done, and there's nothing we can do about it," Piper stated throwing her hands up in the air. Finn sighed and started shaking his head; both of them really had to work on their relationship better.

"How did we end up here in the first place?" Finn questioned, breaking the silence. Piper looked up at Finn with a puzzled look, trying to remember back before she woke up.

"Well, the last thing I remember was getting a face full of that…spray, or whatever it was," Piper started, brushing a strand of hair away from her face, "The next thing I knew, I was falling. They must've flown and just dumped us here."

"So much for our so called 'freedom,' Finn said, "We could have died!"

"We almost did, Finn," Piper responded, rolling her eyes.

Finn hoisted himself up onto the branch that he was having trouble keeping a grip on. He looked around him, finding some sort of way to get down. But they were still high up in the trees, and there were branches nowhere near thick enough (besides the one Finn is seated upon) to hold their weight. "How the hell are we supposed to climb down there?"

"Well you could try jumping," Piper suggested, "that way I can think without having to put up with you."

"Funny," Finn said sarcastically, glaring down at Piper, "your never gonna let what I did go, are you?"

"Not in your lifetime."

"Maybe we could try climbing down."

"And how do you suppose we do that?" Piper responded.

"Well I don't know, is there anything else you have in mind. I don't see you coming up with genius ideas."

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking," Piper responded using a harsh tone.

"Yeah. Right. Well while you're 'thinking,' I'll find us a way to get down," Finn retorted. Sometimes he wished Piper wouldn't be so sensitive. He didn't understand most girls, and how they could be so delicate and emotional. Finn was used to Piper's constant jabbering about crystals, but he didn't know how to handle her attitude. Maybe being less idiotic would brighten her mood. Finn never really was stupid, it was always just an act. Many people laugh at his senseless doings and because it was the middle of a war, they would stand a better chance against the always uptight, cold-hearted Cyclonians if they were in high spirits.

* * *

Meanwhile, the exact same thing happened to Stork except he was halfway across the forest and laying flat on the ground.

He too had woken up, falling from an unimaginable height towards his crumbling death. However, unlike Piper and Finn, Stork had rather been far more successful in deploying his parachute and landed only a few feet above ground. He had unfastened himself from the chute, and didn't really land the way he wanted to.

So now, he just laid on the ground, face planted in the dirt not moving a muscle. This was the last place he'd thought he'd be when they first entered the farside. In fact, right about now, he'd still be happily piloting the Condor if it weren't for the foolish laws of the Xonian government.

He waited there for a few moments, ignoring the many parasites that could be germinating throughout the dirt. He reflected over the last time he had been in this situation, before finding the Condor in the wastelands.

_Terra Merb, 5 years ago_

'_You should learn to stand up against your enemies, and fight for what you believe is right,' stated the poster, advertising positions in the Atmosian Academy. _

"_Can you imagine how many fun adventures we would go on?" Stork said excitedly. He and his friend were standing outside the Merbian Citadel in the centre of town, admiring the poster. _

"_Can you imagine how many viruses, germs or bacteria we'd pick up? Not to mention deck fleas," his friend responded. His friend looked similar to Stork, except his hair was a dark shade of brown, and his face was short and stubbier just like the rest of his body. Stork lowered his shoulders, knowing it would be impossible to convince his friend to go on some world-wide adventures._

"_Deck fleas? I've never heard of them before?" Stork looked at his friend puzzled._

"_I hear they infect your brain and make you go crazy." Stork's eyes widened, but then realised, just about everything that came out of his friend's mouth was highly exaggerated._

"_You're just being paranoid Brok," Stork responded, unsure whether or not it's true. _

"_You never know," Brok said, stepping away from Stork. Stork looked back at the poster, and contemplated over his thoughts. If he went, he could finally escape this place, and live some adventures, but his friend's opinion influenced him a lot. Brok was always teaching Stork how to be safe. _

"_Hey wait up!" Stork called, waving after Brok. However Brok just kept walking and didn't turn back. Stork ran towards him, but wasn't watching where he was going. He tripped over a loose rock planted in the dirt, and fell flat on his face._

**Present**

Stork groaned and lifted his head, spitting out a mouthful of dirt. Oh how he longed for a spray bottle of repellent. He raised himself off the ground and dusted himself off. He observed the scenery. The forest was dark and gloomy, shadows hung around him. The only source of light was the half moon that was shining bars of white light through the trees.

"Where to go from here?" he asked himself. _I could just wait here for help, and lessen the chance of catching whatever diseases or bacteria that lurked around. _He heard a howl of some kind, calling in the distance, Stork shivered at the sound. _Or maybe not. _He started walking in the opposite direction to the howling sound, going wherever the forest would take him.

* * *

"What was that?" Finn asked, also hearing the strange howl. They had been still stuck in the same position as they were an hour ago, wondering how to get down. Piper was still hanging from the chute which was caught on the branch that Finn had made himself comfortable sitting upon. He had already developed a slight cramp in his lower body being seated in the same position for a long period of time.

The sound in the distance was something that had finally peaked his attention. It was pretty much the only thing exciting that had happened ever since they had arrived here.

"How the hell am I supposed to know? I don't know everything," she responded. She had put up with Finn's constant complaining for the past hour and was getting quite impatient with him; wasn't she always.

"Well you sure as hell act like you do," Finn retorted. Piper glared at him. _Touché_, she thought, _his definitely smarter than he acts…and looks. _But Piper was too frustrated as to how to escape from their current situation. She had battled through many obstacles, but she couldn't quite get her head around this particular one.

"I don't suppose you have any crystals up your sleeve," Finn questioned, scratching his head. Something clicked in Piper's mind. _That's it! _She thought.

"Oh my gosh! How could I forget," she responded, quickly reaching down to her left boot and pulling out a small bag. She held it firmly in her hand careful not to drop it, pulling out three small crystals.

"I've found a lot of intriguing crystals whilst we've been here in the farside. I've been waiting to show Aerrow how they work, but never got around to doing it." Finn observed these crystals she laid out in her hand. One was milky white with a tinge of a light silvery glow to it. This one fascinated Finn. It reminded him of the snow, one of the places he dreaded going, but he still somehow found it appealing.

"What's the white one do?" he asked, captivated by its beauty.

Piper's face lit up, hoping he would say something like that. "This one is called a moonstone crystal. It can attract any two people together, it also draws people in with its powers," Piper explained.

_Figures, _Finn thought, _I don't even like the colour white. _He stared at it for a moment enticed by its shape, but shook his head back into existence. "Creepy," he told Piper.

Impressed with his reaction, she held up another one which was a deep shade of violet. "My greatest find. It's extremely rare in Atmosia. It's called the Amethyst Point. I've researched this crystal many times, but have never actually held one. Apparently it doesn't exist back in Atmosia; even Gundstaff doesn't own an Amethyst." Finn nodded an impressed look on his face. He had always found the different kinds of crystals and their powers interesting, but never actually admitted it to anyone, especially Piper. He would never here the end of it if she knew.

Piper continued, "Its job is to prompt lucid dreaming and assist in a restful sleep, alleviating nightmares."

"I could do with one of those!" Finn exclaimed.

"You can't use it often though; otherwise you'd end up in a coma which isn't good." Finn blinked twice, unsure whether he'd end up using that crystal. He didn't like the idea of being in a coma, and knowing him, something would go terribly wrong when if he used that crystal.

My last one I found, it's called a bloodstone crystal," Piper explained. It was pure black, so dark it stood out in the dead of night. "It can be very dangerous if placed in the wrong hands and can prove to be harmful if used incorrectly. Someone with skill, like me, is the only ones who can use it accordingly." Finn sniggered at her comment. She was always so sure of herself, which is a trait Finn longed for.

"What's it do?" Finn questioned, when Piper waiting for a response.

"It brings unimaginably good fortune to the person who operates it, and to the people around them. It also has the ability to heal." Finn's eyes lit up, "Neat huh?"

"Cheaah! It brings good fortune; maybe we could try it on ourselves"

"Yeaaahh…" Piper responded unsure, "but how would that work?"

"We could jump down." Piper hesitated, unsure of his idea. "Pleease! It would awesome!" Finn exclaimed, jiggling his feet in excitement. Piper looked a bit sceptical however.

"Mmmmm…I don't know. I haven't actually tested it out yet," she replied.

"Oh c'mon! Its worth a try, we don't have any thing else we can use." Piper thought for a minute, contemplating all the possible scenarios. This was one thing she was good at, predicting certain variables and calculating a possible solution. Unlike Finn, she thought before she acted. Finn was shoot first, ask questions later. She sighed at that thought. Being the only girl in the Storm Hawks was hard work. She was always the one who took on the responsibility.

"Fine. I guess it's better than being stuck here with you," Piper responded.

"I'm not sure whether to be happy or insulted," Finn responded, jokingly. Piper smiled. He might act like such a douche, but he knew when to make her smile.

"Okay, here goes." Piper closed her eyes and held the crystal steadily in the palm of her hands. She relaxed, and concentrated all her energy into the heart of the crystal. It started glowing a rich crimson colour, which eventually expanded lighting up the whole tree. Finn covered his eyes at the brightness of the light. It faded after a few moments and Piper opened her eyes.

They waited a few seconds. Piper looked down at her hands, but didn't see any change. "I don't feel any different," Piper said. Finn looked at Piper and shrugged.

"Well," he started, "there's only one way to find out." And with that, he pushed himself off the branch suddenly and jumped into the depths below.

"FINN! Wait! I don't think it-" But she was too late, he disappeared beneath the winding branches of the tree.

* * *

Okay so tell me what you think. Am I moving too fast through the story? You guys are free to give me any ideas. And sorry about the constant cliffhangers. i'm currently writing up chapter 8, but it's gonna take a while cause exams are coming up, and you know teachers, they give you tests assignments and homework all at the same time. plus the deb is coming up, and there are lots of dances to memorize. there are about 5 dances we have to learn, crazy! but don't worry, i'll still work on this story, i'm not giving up :D and don't forget to review, they make me very happy and motivated

Word count: 2461


	9. Chapter 8 Be frightened

**Chapter 8- **

"Finn?" Piper called out, signs of worry filling her voice. But all she got in response was the wind brushing past her and the trees swaying along with its rhythm. "Finn! You alright?" she shouted out again, however, there still was no answer. "This isn't funny! Finn?" she called out below, knowing it was hopeless. She started panicking. It was the dead of the night and she was stuck in a tree, alone, how could she not panic.

Then after a few seconds of contemplating what she could do, a relieving sound pierced her ears, "I'm alright!" Piper took a deep breath out. "It's safe to come down!" Finn shouted.

"You sure?" Piper called back, hesitating. She looked down below, the trees blocking the view of solid ground.

"Yep! Trust me!" Piper closed her eyes, _here goes nothing, _she thought as she took a deep breath, and unclipped the harness from the parachute. She was sent spiralling straight down to the bottom, not even hitting a branch and splashed down in a lagoon, shooting hard down underneath the water. Her breathing capabilities were immediately gone as she touched down beneath the water.

Piper's heart jolted as the sudden coldness rushed through her body. She lost her track of mind as the million of tiny brain cells erupted inside her head from the state of shock. After a few seconds of struggling to heave herself out of the water, she felt something grab her hand and pull her up. She took a deep breath as she reached the surface.

"You really have to work more on your swimming skills," Finn suggested, heaving her up. He started dragging her across the water with Piper embraced in his arms as she coughed out the excess water still stuck in her throat.

"Maybe…you should work more on your planning skills. You really scared me there Finn," Piper responded, still out of breath.

Finn shrugged, "It worked didn't it?" Piper didn't respond, instead she just gave him a concerned look. They reached the shore of the lake, the mud squelching under their knees as the crawled out of the lake completely drenched in water and mud.

"Well if we don't want to freeze to death, we have to start a camp fire," Finn suggested, shivering violently from his water soaked clothes.

"Sounds...good to me," Piper responded between coughs.

OoOoOoOoOo

Being small had its advantages but sometimes it was a curse, especially for Radaar. The strange beings that were searching throughout the Condor had locked all the vents shut, and Radaar was unable to break loose. He didn't know why they even had locks on them in the first place. He figured it was because of Stork's paranoia. If he had Junko's strength maybe he could attempt to break open the vent, but he didn't. Radaar sighed as he seated himself against the interior of the shaft. He was just inside one of the hanger bays air vents, if he was able to unlock it, he could finally leave the Condor and find the whereabouts of his friends. But right now, he felt completely helpless to do anything.

He spotted a thin piece of wire, buried in the very corner opposite of where he was seated. He crawled over to the object that had captivated his attention, and grabbed it, holding it close to his face to take a better look. It had specks of rust coated over it signifying its length in age.

Radaar smirked and realised finally how to get out of here. He approached the lock on the vent and bent the thing piece of wire in half, creating the perfect lock pick. He reached through the opening of the vent to stick it in between the lock.

It wasn't an easy thing to do lock picking. It was a matter of concentration and balance, while trying not to drop the actual lock pick in the process. Radaar wriggled the wire about for a few moments, and then finally he heard a slight click in the process. He praised his highly intelligent mind.

Radaar slowly opened the vent without making a sound and jumped down on the floor of the hanger bay. He looked around making sure there were no intruders in the area, and walked over to a panel on the side of the hanger bay doors. Jumping up, Radaar pulled the lever needed to activate the doorway. It slid open, and Radaar crawled underneath before it had a chance to fully open up.

It was quite windy outside; Radaar could hardly keep his ground. The buildings stood taller than ever from his view, but being small made Radaar's chance of being seen less than normal, which was one of the reasons why the guards that had suddenly turned a corner, didn't see him. They looked similar to the ones on board the ship.

Both of them strolled along casually not realizing Radaar's presence. Radaar decided to follow them; maybe they could lead him to the whereabouts of Aerrow and the others. He trailer their path closely behind them just enough to hear their conversation but not too close that they could see him.

"What do you think of the new prisoner? Do you reckon his guilty enough to be put to death?" One guard said.

"Well he sure knows how to take a beating." Radaar frowned, hoping he wasn't talking about any of his friends. "But, they did find a whole shipment of crystals on board their ship. I reckon that's enough to prove his guilt," the other replied.

"Yeah, but what's actually so bad about crystals?" he responded, doubt emanating from his voice. The guard just shrugged, unable to answer the question and they both walked towards the large complex in silence.

Radaar followed them inside, hiding behind objects on his way to avoid being seen. It was much warmer inside than it was out. That was a feeling Radaar always enjoyed, being smothered with warmth when walking inside from a freezing cold temperature. He wondered how a human could live without fur to keep them warm.

Radaar kept a close distance between him and the guards as they walked down the long hallway, he'd hoped they would lead him to his friends, wherever they were.

OoOoOoOo

Stork had been strolling along, seeing what seemed to be the hundredth tree in a row he'd passed. It was in the dead of night. He figured he should settle down and rest for a while. But who knows what could be stalking him.

Plenty of predators were found in a place like this, and Stork knew just about every type. The safest place to be was either up higher or buried in a hole. Since he always dreaded heights, and there were numerous parasites buried in the dirt, his only choice was to continue walking along. However, Stork was glad he did.

An orange light was originating through the gaps of the trees. He continued walking towards it, drawing him in. Stork pushed past a few branches, one almost hitting him in the face, to reveal a small cave. The bright light came from within. He walked slowly towards it not making a sound, and peeked inside.

It was empty, but there were signs that someone had camped here recently. A fire was set up in the centre, with a stange looking creature roasting on top. It looked to be some sort of fish. He stepped closer towards it, wanting to get warm. What he didn't notice was the a large shadow standing behind him. As he laid his hands in front of the fire to warm them up, the shadow crept closer and closer towards him. It reached out its hand and grabbed Stork's shoulder startling him.

Stork squealed, surprised at the sudden contact, and jumped back suddenly away from the figure. "Woah! Stork! It's just me."

"Junko! Thank the heavans," Stork replied, "I thought you were a mud eel.

"What's that?" Junko asked, but regretted since he remembered how much Stork loved to rant on about his paranoid fantasies. Stork went to open his mouth but Junko interrupted, "uh…nevermind, I think I'll find that out myself." Stork frowned but didn't seem to be bothered by it as he went to sit in front of the warm fire.

"How long have you been here?" Stork asked, interrupting the silence.

Junko shrugged, "Dunno, a few hours maybe." Stork observed the flame of the campfire, looking deep in thought. Junko turned the fish over to cook the other side, as Stork watched him do it.

"What was the last thing you remember?" Stork finally asked.

Junko shrugged again, "I remember seeing a flash of light, and I felt something vibrate underneath me. I figured I was on a ship. But I think I passed out again. Then I landed in a nearby river bank, luckily, and swam to shore where I found this cave, and I've been here ever since. It's been kinda lonely."

Stork turned his attention towards the fire once again, "Yeah, indeed it has."

OoOoOoOoOo

The night was starting to grow older as Piper and Finn crowded around the campfire trying to get warm. Water still soaked through their clothes, making their skin feel like a wet sponge. The fire wasn't much help seeing that it was dimming with every passing moment. But as soon as the sun would rise, it would be safer to continue on and find a way out of the forest.

"Where do you think the others are?" Finn asked, breaking the comfortable silence. Piper looked up at Finn to respond, but she didn't say anything. She just shrugged.

"I don't know Finn. They might be dead for all we know."

Finn frowned. "Don't say that, I'm sure their fine…I hope." Finn sighed, looking back into the burning flames of the campfire. He stayed silent for a while, knowing Piper wasn't in one of her best moods. He didn't know why she was like this. Finn figured it was because of Aerrow. Ever since Aerrow had given himself up for Piper, she hasn't been her normal self. She's been experiencing a lot mood swings and sudden outbursts. _I guess that's part of being a girl, _Finn thought. He chuckled to himself, he didn't really understand girls.

"What?" Piper suddenly asked, hearing him chuckle. Finn was knocked out of his day dream and looked towards Piper.

"Oh nothing…It's just, I wouldn't have thought I'd be stuck in the middle of no where with you when we entered through the farside," Finn explained. Piper gave him a stern look, expecting a nasty comment coming from him. "In a way, I'm sorta glad it was you, and not any of the others."

Piper's eyes widened, she was not expecting that. "Oh?"

"I mean…like…I don't know what would've happened without that awesome crystal of yours," Finn spoke abruptly, careful not to dig himself a hole that he couldn't get out of. Piper smiled.

"Thanks Finn…Um…same to you," she responded, unsure. Finn stood up, deciding to take a toilet break to get away from anymore awkward conversations, but stopped as he heard rustling through the trees.

"What was that?" he spoke. Piper looked up at him, raising one eyebrow.

"What was what?" she responded. A twig snapped revealing a presence nearby as continuous rustling originated from the surrounding vegetation.

"That," Finn pointed out, eyes widening. Piper stood up, both of them standing completely still. A deep growl was heard through the thickness of the trees, Finn wasn't sure how to react, could it be hostile, or was it friendly and just wanted to enjoy a nice conversation around the campfire. Finn thought against that idea, although, he was starting to get bored just sitting around the fire.

A growling figure crawled out from between the bushes. Finn cringed at the sight. It wasn't the razor-sharp slobbery teeth or the grey bloodshot eyes that frightened him; it was the two large horns pointing out either side of its round head. It had very thin dark grey fur, that failed to cover some bald patches that were showing all around its body. It growled vigorously towards the two frightened Storm Hawks, ready to attack.

"Uh…Do you think we should run?" Finn asked Piper as the creature was closing the distance between them.

"Yeah. I think so," Piper responded, a little too calmly. The creature suddenly pounced on Finn, but he was able to dodge its attack leaping towards the side and making a run for it. They both ran through the trees as quickly as possible pushing past all the branches blocking their way. The creature waited staring at the two running away from it as if giving Piper and Finn a nice head start to provide a more challenging hunt.

A branch sliced through Piper's face as she was sprinting in front of Finn, giving her a neat cut through her cheek. She cringed at the pain, but ignored it and continued running. However, she failed to see a large root poking out from the ground. Her foot became caught underneath the growing root and she fell face first into the ground.

It took her a second to realize she had fallen because she was feeling fairly dazed from the sudden fall. Finn ran up behind her not looking where he was going and tripped over her body laying flat across the pathway.

"Watch where you're going!" she shouted.

"Says you lying flat on the ground," he retorted. He quickly lifted himself off the ground and grabbed Piper's hand to help her up on her two feet. They looked about searching for the presence of the strange creature, but everything was quiet. Too quiet in fact. There was no peep of a sound, and it was unlikely the creature would give up so quickly.

"Do you think it's gone?" Piper asked. Finn frowned. It couldn't have given up that easily. Just when he thought they had finally escaped, he heard rustling in the trees yet again.

"Maybe it gave up because we weren't…"

"Shhh!" Finn demanded, placing his hand across Piper's mouth. He stood still, listening out for any hint of a sound. That same deep growl was heard again, but Finn kept looking left, right and found no sign for the monster. Piper was doing the same, she was more paranoid than ever. She didn't know how to handle herself like Finn did. Piper could still here the sounds of the monster, but where was it coming from. She felt something cold and wet touch her shoulder. Her hand automatically reached for it, and realised her whole shoulder was covered in wet slimy drool. Her eyes widened. Piper looked up and saw the creature staring straight down at Finn, situated in between the branches.

Its hands were just like that of a human, except it had long sharp nails growing from the fingertips. It was ready to pounce on Finn.

"Finn look out!" Piper shouted. Finn looked towards Piper confused, but didn't see the creature jumping down. Piper only had a few seconds to react. She ran over to Finn and pushed him out of the way, only to be struck down by the creature herself.

"Finn! Help," Piper shouted, within the creatures grasped. It was staring straight into her eyes, as if observing the panic within.

Finn was lying on the ground, still unable to process the current situation through his head. And then he noticed the creature was about to take Piper as its prey. There were only moments to react. He saw a large stick near where he was sitting and grabbed it. He had only a few seconds, so he swung at the monster's head as hard as he could. It bashed through its skull knocking it away from Piper.

The creature squealed from the pain of the harsh blow. _Oh my god, its still alive, _Finn thought, as it wriggled around trying to regain its stance. _No one can survive a blow like that. _

Piper struggled to get up as she was still lying flat on the ground, weak from the creature's attack. "We have to move," Finn demanded, noticing that the creature was regaining strength. He grabbed Piper's hand and pulled her up as they both made for a quick escape running yet again through the depths of the forest.

Piper groaned as both of them were pacing along. That blow from the creature had weakened her, she was ready to pass out but kept on moving along because she knew how not to give up.

"Are you alright?" Finn asked, puffed from their constant exercise.

"I'll be…fine," she responded, lying. A very sharp pain surged through her upper body where the creature had landed on quite harshly. It had dug its claws into the top of her shoulders, leaving scratch marks across her skin, but she tried to ignore the pain not to worry Finn too much.

Finn looked ahead and noticed a small clearing. He nodded to Piper, indicating the direction they should head to. The creature didn't sound like it was pursuing them anymore, but just to be safe they would still keep on the look out for any sign of danger.

They both slowed and stopped to rest, puffing from the vigorous exercise they had been enduring. Looking through the trees, the two Storm Hawks observed a small village surrounded by a layer of paddocks. It wasn't very impressive, but still an adequate place to live considering the conditions. The houses were made from wood with straw tied together to make a fairly sturdy roof. Dust covered the streets of the village with the wind blowing it around.

As they were observing the village site, Piper felt a huge wave of dizziness. She groaned in pain trying to stop from fainting, but it didn't work. The creatures grasp from earlier must've had some sort of negative side-effect. Her vision blurred as the blood rushed to her skull.

"Piper?" asked Finn, noticing her current state. "Are you alright?"

"I'm…I'm fine," she responded barely keeping her voice from shaking.

"You sure? You don't look so…" Piper interrupted Finn's comment by falling towards the ground going into a state of unconsciousness. "Piper!" Finn called. He rushed by her side shaking her awake. "Piper, wake up! This is not a time to be sleeping. Piper?" There was no response. Finn felt a pulse and was glad to find a heartbeat still pumping through her veins.

He lifted her off the ground and placed her on top of his shoulder gently. Finn started to head towards the village, maybe there he could ask for some assistance to whatever was wrong with Piper.

* * *

**A/N: I feel so crappy right now for not updating sooner, i'm sorry guys. I've had exams and the deb, and my nephews 5th birthday party all in the same week. And just the past month has been a hard one for me. It's taken a while to write up this chapter, i don't know why lol. **

**Well i hope you enjoyed it. There was a bit of a fluff between Piper and Finn for a moment there, do you reakon i should develop their relationship more? Well thanks for reading, and don't forget to review, i like reviews :P**


	10. Chapter 9 Death Sentence

**Chapter 9 ****– Death Sentence**

Finn had brought the unconscious Piper towards the village in hope of finding some assistance, but found it to be completely deserted. There was no sign of any life; it had just been abandoned for some unknown reason. Finn had taken refuge in one of the nearby houses and placed Piper on the futon that was laid out. Inside was fairly cosy; it had a fireplace in the main room with a fury rug laid out in front. The futons used to sleep on, were placed near the fire place just next to the same rug. Chairs were toppled over and junk was spread out all over the room, but Finn managed to tidy up the place just to past the time.

He lighted the fire with one of Piper's fire crystals she had handy in her crystal sack. It lighted up the whole house, creating a nice comfy environment for them both. Now he was sitting legs crossed, with his arm resting on his right knee and head placed into the palm of his hand, in front of the fireplace, unsure what to do next.

Piper was lying soundly asleep lying on the soft futon with a thin blanket over the top. One arm was placed across her chest and the other beneath her head. Her mouth was set in a frown and her eyelids were fluttering. She was dreaming, perhaps of home back in Atmosia, Finn missed it there. It wasn't as many complications, and all they had to deal with was the Cyclonians. But if she was dreaming of home, why was she frowning? Finn figured it must be the fever she was experiencing.

She stirred in her sleep, mumbling under her breath. Finn watched her, wishing he had listened to Piper's lecture on medical treatment. She had always been precautious when it came to the health of all of the Storm Hawks. She had properly informed them on how to treat wounds and any fevers that were encountered. Finn, being his usual self, had not payed any attention to her words.

Piper rolled over facing away from Finn. He walked over to the futon she was laying upon and bent down running his hand over her head to feel how bad her fever was getting. Her head was burning up dangerously high, Finn had to do something to help, but he had no clue.

"Piper?" he called, shaking her awake. "Can you hear me?"

* * *

Piper had no clue of where she was. She was unable to see anything. Blackness completely surrounded her, as if it engulfed any sort of life that existed. She figured she was unconscious, but how? The last thing she remembered was…actually she couldn't remember anything. How did she end up here? She tried opening her eyes, but her eyelids refused to release its grip.

_Hang on a second? _Piper thought to herself, _is that a voice I hear? _Piper could slightly hear the sound of a voice talking to her. _How is that possible?_ She thought. Maybe they were telling her to wake up. The voice sounded very familiar, but she couldn't quite make out the sound.

"Piper?" Maybe they were trying to tell her something important, but the problem was she was unable to move or respond. "It's me Finn," he continued. _Finn? Who's Finn?_ Piper couldn't remember anything. But what bothered her most was that she recognised the voice, the name, but couldn't quite figure out what important part that person played in her life. _Concentrate Piper, _she encouraged. _That voice might just be able to help you. _

"Wake up Piper," the voice replied again. _But maybe this Finn guy is what caused me to be like this, _Piper contemplated.

She felt a hand grab her and shake her awake. The motion was making everything spin vastly around her, creating her vision to be filled with moving dots that were appearing in front of her eyes. It went from blackness, to a sudden pang of light that invaded her eyesight

"Piper!" Finn shouted gleefully, "You're finally awake! God, you don't know how long I've been sitting here waiting for you to wake up." Finn helped lift Piper into a seated position. She grabbed her head, steadying the intense headache and dizziness she was experiencing.

"Wha..What…Where am I?" Piper asked, unable to properly produce any words.

"You're safe. We managed to evade the monster. It looked pretty bad there for a second there."

"What? What monster? Who are you?" Piper asked. Finn looked puzzled.

"What are you talking about? You know who I am," Finn responded. Piper gave him a blank look. "It's me, Finn. You know the one that always enjoys pissing you off all the time."

"I…I'm sorry but, I seriously do not know who you are." Finn gulped. This wasn't good.

* * *

The sun was finally lifting up from the surface of the earth. Junko was fast asleep while Stork was up pacing the room. He hadn't slept all night, the need for the soft humming of the Condor's engine was floating at the back of his mind. Stork never slept well whilst not onboard his ship. He always needed the vibrating underneath his feet as he piloted the Condor. In a way, it always comforted Stork, which was one of the main reasons he always remained on the ship.

Junko snored away, another reason why Stork couldn't get to sleep. He argued whether or not he should wake Junko, but Junko is usually a deep sleeper, so it was always difficult to wake him up. He stirred a little, rolling over to one side. Stork stared at Junko not realising it. He was too deep in thought.

"Um…Stork, why are you staring at me?" Junko asked, turning to his other side to face Stork. Junko's question startled Stork. He looked at Junko, still a bit dazed from his previous daydream.

"Uh…well…no reason, just thinking I guess." Junko stood and stretched out his muscles. Stork could hear a few bones cracking into place. However, Stork noticed something peculiar beside Junko, a large eight legged creature, similar to that of a spider except a few centimetres taller. It had thin grains of fur travelling across its body, with thick legs carrying it. The spider was brown in colour and was fairly close to Junko as he packed up camp.

"Junko?" Stork knew Junko was always afraid of spiders, so it was fair to warn him.

"Yeah Stork?" Junko responded.

"You'd better move a little to the left." The spider was closing in on Junko, but it wasn't bothered by Junko's presence.

Junko looked curiously at Stork, and turned to his right to see what Stork was on about. As soon as he noticed the spider, it crawled upon him making Junko scream with panic as he ran around frantically to try to get it off.

"AHHH! Help!" Junko shouted. He started running around crazily, trying to get the spider off of him. Junko banged into the side of the cavern, knocking a few rocks out of place from the ceiling above.

"Junko! Be careful!" Stork called, knowing Junko's size, he was positive Junko was able to bring the whole place down upon them. Which is exactly what Junko did, as he rammed himself against the wall one more time; rocks started falling from above, crashing down upon the two Storm Hawks, and spelling doom for them both.

* * *

Time dragged on for Aerrow. Not being able to see the sun and keep track of time, made it even longer for him. He was still chained up, his wrists red and scarred from the pressure of the shackles that were bound to the chains. He could only move about a metre from the wall, thus making it even harder for Aerrow to find a way out.

The cell he had been allocated, was dark and cold, but none of these attributes bothered Aerrow, even though he had been chained up for over two to three days, he showed no sign of discomfort. Rather, the Storm Hawk looked devoid of any spark of life. His green eyes lacked the usual vibrant luster, and his skin was more unusually pale than normal. All Aerrow knew was that it had felt like such a long time since he was arrested.

He sighed, bored. They really knew how to torment a person, making them wait hours on end, thinking the slightest sound would be the guards dragging him away to his death. But that moment never came. He started brushing through his hair, which was slightly clumped together due to the lack of cleanliness.

That was another thing he hated, not being able to clean himself like he did every morning. He liked his hair to be soft and smooth instead of clumped together with bits of dirt stuck between every strand.

Although, that was the least of his worries. He could feel his head throbbing from the physical abuse he had endured from the guards. They had enjoyed coming in every now and then to take out their rage on Aerrow. But every time they did, he thought he was gonna be dragged away to his own execution. It was the worst possible way to die for Aerrow. He'd prefer his life to end by the tip of a blade in battle, a more honourable way.

The sound of muffled voices and footsteps outside the door to the cell disrupted Aerrow's thoughts, and caused him to lift his head up in expectation. He was practically holding his breath, hoping it was another round of their beatings. Aerrow sat up and crossed his right leg underneath him, while the other was spread out in front. His eyes strained on the door expectantly.

Aerrow heard keys jangling behind the cell door. The door slowly creaked open, allowing three figures to step inside the cell. Two guards emerged who lifted up Aerrow and unlocked his chains, placing energy-bound cuffs in its place. Both of them walked out and closed the door behind them.

The third figure remained behind; Aerrow looked at him with hatred.

"Are you prepared binder?" Mukesh spoke. He stood directly before Aerrow, Aerrow's eyes fixed upon him, not daring to remove his gaze.

Aerrow swallowed hard, "No one can prepare themselves for death. It just approaches them when their time has come," he answered firmly.

Mukesh smirked at his wise response, "Then are you afraid?"

"No," Aerrow responded.

At this, a terrible smile surfaced across Mukesh's face. "You should be. Guards!" Aerrow always hated it when he said that word.

As expected, both of the guards entered the cell quickly and each grabbed one of Aerrow's arms, roughly pulling him forward out of the cell.

Aerrow sighed as he cooperated with their actions. _This was it, _Aerrow thought. It was gonna be the end of him; after all the sky knight training, defeating the cylonians numerous times, and winning the war fought against cyclonia, he was finally finished.

Although, Aerrow felt strangely calm, as if he had been in a state of high agitation but had now slowly calm down. They directed him down a long dark hallway, a similar design to that of the cell. Mukesh followed behind them.

They approached a door with a bright light streaming through the cracks underneath it. The guard opened the door, and as he did Aerrow squinted at the sudden wave of brightness that enveloped his eyesight. Being trapped inside a dark cell for two days and suddenly introduced into a widely bright room wasn't an overly good feeling.

Although Aerrow couldn't see, he certainly heard a lot. It sounded like a crowd was forming to watch Aerrow be executed. Voices flooded his ears as his eyes tried to adjust to the blinding light.

Aerrow finally re-adjusted his eyesight and saw a whole audience gathered around a fenced up ring in the centre. A projector was displayed on the far side of the arena. On it, Aerrow saw what appeared to be his own reflection, but from a different angle. He tilted his head in confusion. _If they don't use crystals, then how the hell would they get something like that to function? _Aerrow thought.

The audience started booing as they saw Aerrow enter the ring escorted by two guards. Aerrow bowed his head in embarrassment by the audience's reaction. Mukesh obviously had quite an influence on these people. Aerrow prayed they wouldn't find Atmos, these people seemed a lot stronger than normal human beings, and he wasn't sure if the Wallops were still sided with the sky nights. An alliance with the Wallopian people could prove to be quite handy.

Atmosia still wouldn't stand a chance against these people. They obviously had some sort of advanced technology Atmosia hadn't discovered yet. _Electricity _Mukesh called it. Aerrow had no idea what electricity was, and as soon as he escaped, if he ever did, it was his job to investigate.

The guards closed the gate behind Aerrow, trapping him within the centre ring. Aerrow looked towards Mukesh who was just on the other side, widely smirking at Aerrow's misfortune.

"Good luck Aerrow," Mukesh spoke with a hint of sarcasm, "you'll need it." He walked off laughing, walking to his seat away from the rest of the audience. Aerrow looked around, stance at the ready. He did not know what to expect. Knives might be suddenly thrown at him, or a chainsaw could come down from above and just chop him in half. Those were the sort of things Aerrow feared.

"Release the Bonemark!" Mukesh ordered. The ground started to shake beneath Aerrow as he stood in the centre of the ring. His emerald eyes widened, looking back and forth between the crowd and Mukesh. The hard floor began to open ever so slowly. Aerrow was trapped and was unable to prevent himself from falling into the depths below.

He ran to the edge of the ring and pounded his fist onto the fence, but it was no use. The floor kept opening wider and wider, until Aerrow could no longer keep a steady stance. He slid down, attempting to grab hold of any extended rock pieces of the wall, but each time he did, it slipped out of his grip. Aerrow started to panic, descending into the darkness below.

* * *

**A/N: **So the update wasn't as late as last time, thankfully :) but i still want to be a little faster next time, which knowing my life it won't let me. I don't really like Stork and Junko's part in this chapter, i find them really difficult to write in character, i don't know why, they should be the easiest personality wise. I wonder what this bonemark is, you'll find out next chapter. and of course, don't forget to review! :DDD


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